Homepage Article NDiaye Upfront?

[toffee-L]

When we signed Dibling I thought this would be the midfield, with Gana/Garner/Rohl/Tim next to KDH. It is probably a bit offensive for Moyes and I’m guessing he’d change it to more defensive against better teams but I think it would work.

I don’t see the harm in trying something like this when we’re playing against a team who arrive at our place almost begging us to beat them like Aston Villa and West Ham were.

But you’re probably right that Moyes isn’t going to change at this stage of his career. I mean, the bloke was about to bring on Tim Iroebugnam rather than Charly Alcaraz when the game was at 1-1.

Tells you everything really.

 

[Blue_in_london]

If Moyes wants Beto to score he needs to play to his main (or only) strength which is running in on through balls. I think this get it to Grealish and wait around for the perfect assist isn't going anywhere for Beto - he's hardly intricate in his skills. Maybe Grealish has to play a bit quicker or more direct if Beto is on.

 

[Blue_in_london]

I kind of omitted the topic of Ndiaye up front! I can't see it working.

 

[Lanolin]

If Moyes wants Beto to score he needs to play to his main (or only) strength which is running in on through balls. I think this get it to Grealish and wait around for the perfect assist isn't going anywhere for Beto - he's hardly intricate in his skills. Maybe Grealish has to play a bit quicker or more direct if Beto is on.

Even if it was as simple as that - which I don't think it is - Beto's 'strength' isn't really a strength at all, it's just an area of his game which isn't as bad as some of the others. He's not a deadly finisher who makes consistently fantastic runs, he's just sort of alright at sometimes getting in behind. That just isn't enough for us to base our entire game plan on.

 

[ToffeeScot]

Even if it was as simple as that - which I don't think it is - Beto's 'strength' isn't really a strength at all, it's just an area of his game which isn't as bad as some of the others. He's not a deadly finisher who makes consistently fantastic runs, he's just sort of alright at sometimes getting in behind. That just isn't enough for us to base our entire game plan on.

Indeed. It's also important to remember that he missed a lot of one on one opportunities last season.

 

[W84 Dum Freeze]

It's not really that simple though. Beto's goalscoring form lasted for 4 games, it's not like he's a proven goalscorer who's inexplicably lost form, he just had a good run of form for a couple of weeks, it happens. You're talking about his form 'in the second half of the season' but he only got 2 in the last 12 games last year, his current form is much more in keeping with what he's done before than the 22 day period in February when he looked good.

Noted, but we do need them goals from him, moving Ndiaye up top until December is short sighted and we need to get our strikers into that hot spot form somehow and stop writing them off.

 

[Lanolin]

Noted, but we do need them goals from him, moving Ndiaye up top until December is short sighted and we need to get our strikers into that hot spot form somehow and stop writing them off.

In some ways it feels like the concept of writing people off has lost all meaning, it just gets used for every piece of criticism now. Beto's 27 and been around for ages, we've got ample evidence to judge what his level is, it's not 'writing him off' to say that. We need to find a way to look more dangerous generally and to score goals, those goals don't necessarily have to come from our strikers, but they need to play their part in making the team better overall. I'm not sure us setting up in a way that makes Beto score more does that.

 

[Joey66]

I kind of omitted the topic of Ndiaye up front! I can't see it working.

Why he has played CF for an other team scored loads ?

 

[Bedfordblue]

At this point i reckon the statue of Dixie Dean would be more use upfront than our strikers.

 

[W84 Dum Freeze]

In some ways it feels like the concept of writing people off has lost all meaning, it just gets used for every piece of criticism now. Beto's 27 and been around for ages, we've got ample evidence to judge what his level is, it's not 'writing him off' to say that. We need to find a way to look more dangerous generally and to score goals, those goals don't necessarily have to come from our strikers, but they need to play their part in making the team better overall. I'm not sure us setting up in a way that makes Beto score more does that.

Maybe "writing them off" was the wrong
wording.
We have a squad of players with designated positions and cover in those positions.
When you start playing Centre backs as forwards, moving your creative wingers
up top in a Damarai Gray manner it's desperation rather than creative thinking
and usually does more harm than good.

 

[pfim]

At this point i reckon the statue of Dixie Dean would be more use upfront than our strikers.

Would have a better first touch than Beto.

 

[Blue_in_london]

Even if it was as simple as that - which I don't think it is - Beto's 'strength' isn't really a strength at all, it's just an area of his game which isn't as bad as some of the others. He's not a deadly finisher who makes consistently fantastic runs, he's just sort of alright at sometimes getting in behind. That just isn't enough for us to base our entire game plan on.

Yeah, I know. It doesn't feel right adapting a game plan to a strikers mediocre skills - he's just looked at his best playing off those kind of balls. Maybe Ndiaye could work better up front. I can just see a scenario where we completely isolate him and he looks terrible too! Over to Moyes!

 

[kenada_blue]

Didn't he play upfront for Sheff Utd? I know he has before for Senegal...

He did. And as a number 10.

He went to Marseille and played on the left and carried it on here.

Its needs exploring. The strikers we have are disrupters who run channels and play off the last man on to through balls (Barry does drop deep).

But our creative players want to feed someone more technical on the ball, the number 10 breaking the lines.

Lack of pace still is an issue

 

[kenada_blue]

In some ways it feels like the concept of writing people off has lost all meaning, it just gets used for every piece of criticism now. Beto's 27 and been around for ages, we've got ample evidence to judge what his level is, it's not 'writing him off' to say that. We need to find a way to look more dangerous generally and to score goals, those goals don't necessarily have to come from our strikers, but they need to play their part in making the team better overall. I'm not sure us setting up in a way that makes Beto score more does that.

Personally you still dont get rid of someone like Beto because you need another option to play to his strengths.

What Moyes is asking him to do is something he can't do consistently.

 

[davids]

Even if it was as simple as that - which I don't think it is - Beto's 'strength' isn't really a strength at all, it's just an area of his game which isn't as bad as some of the others. He's not a deadly finisher who makes consistently fantastic runs, he's just sort of alright at sometimes getting in behind. That just isn't enough for us to base our entire game plan on.

The signings we made wouldn't suggest we ever had a game plan.